His release came one week after he was shot and listed in critical condition after he and other members of the Warrant Apprehension Task Force attempted to arrest Steven Tyrone Jones, 38, in a home in the 5500 block of Forest Park Ave.

FOR THE RECORD - An item in the Baltimore County digest Wednesday gave incorrect information about a man who died in a motorcycle crash. Robert G. Gemmill Sr. lived in the 6900 block of River Drive Road in Edgemere, and he owned an auto repair shop.The Sun regrets the errors.

Jones died after a shootout with police. He had been wanted in a home invasion and robbery in Carroll County, police said.

"The entire Maryland State Police family is thrilled by this great news," Col. Thomas E. "Tim" Hutchins, state police superintendent, said in the agency's announcement of the trooper's release. "It is wonderful to know Eric will be able to enjoy the holidays at home with his family this year."

Nick Shields

Reisterstown

Woman, stabbing suspect identified Authorities identified yesterday a woman found fatally stabbed in a Reisterstown home and the man suspected in her killing, who died after being shot by county police.

Jamie Ann Nichols, 43, of the 200 block of Chartley Drive in Reisterstown was found stabbed about 5:30 p.m. Monday in a house in the 100 block of Westminster Road.

About two hours after police discovered Nichols' body, authorities located Russell Carlton Barnes, 43, also of the Westminster Road address, walking south on Ivy Mill Road near Nicodemus Road with a knife.

"The officer told him on several occasions to drop the knife," said Cpl. Michael Hill, a county police spokesman.

As Barnes charged the officer with the knife in his hand, the officer shot him at least once, Hill said.

Barnes was flown by helicopter to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he died, police said.

In addition to the investigation into the stabbing, police are investigating the shooting by the officer.

Joshua Ederheimer, director of the Police Executive Research Forum's Center for Force and Accountability, said that the accepted standard for "deadly range" is 21 feet.

"If someone with an edged weapon is disobeying police orders and are advancing, and they get within 21 feet of a police officer, that officer is in a deadly perilous danger," he said.

Bill Toohey, another police spokesman, could not say how close Barnes was to the officer, saying that detail is part of the investigation.

Barnes and Nichols had a previous relationship, but it is believed that they were not dating at the time of the stabbing, police said, adding that it was unclear yesterday what prompted the stabbing.

The identity of the officer involved in the shooting was not released yesterday.

Nick Shields

Traffic accidents

Driver, motorcyclist are killed

Two men died in recent accidents on Baltimore County roads, police said.

A man died yesterday after his truck struck a bridge pillar in the Fullerton area, county police said.

The man was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Silverado on westbound White Marsh Boulevard near Belair Road about 9:30 a.m. when the truck struck the pillar and caught fire, county police said. The identity of the man, who died at the scene, had not been released.

An Essex man died late Sunday at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, shortly after he lost control of his 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle on North Point Road, police said.

Robert G. Gemmill Sr., 55, of the 6900 block of Riverside Road was following two other southbound motorcyclists about 11:10 p.m. in the 4100 block of North Point Road when he failed to negotiate a curve near New Battle Grove Road, said Officer Kevin Doyle.

Doyle said the motorcycle careened down an embankment, crossed a driveway, went up another embankment and crashed into a utility pole.

He said Gemmill, the owner of a Dundalk auto body shop, was not wearing a legal helmet but one that had a warning inside saying that it was intended for display purposes only.

Nick Shields and Richard Irwin

Events or news items for the Baltimore County Digest may be submitted to baltco.news@baltsun.com. Information should be sent at least 10 days in advance of the event.